Water produced with oil from underground formations or generated downstream in processes, such as desalting of the oil, forms waste water streams. The waste water streams can contain organics, such as naphthenic acids, which are soluble enough in the waste water streams to prevent removal with oil-water separation. The naphthenic acids contaminating the waste water streams present environmental concerns with respect to discharging of the waste water streams.
Factors influencing naphthenic acids removal include heightening stringency of governmental regulations on ground discharge, increasing water volume in the oil being produced, and rising levels of naphthenic acids in products as a result of more production from heavy oil. These factors can prevent prior approaches for treatment of the waste water streams from being cost effective. Further, the prior approaches to remove the naphthenic acids from the waster water streams often produce additional byproducts that still present problems for disposal.
Therefore, a need exists for improved methods and systems for handling naphthenic acid contaminants.